Don’t Let Herman Die Alone

Herman Wallace may not have a lot of time left – he’s 71 years old, has advanced liver cancer, and has survived four decades of imprisonment in the cruel, inhuman and degrading conditions of solitary confinement.

He and fellow prisoner Albert Woodfox, of Angola 3 fame, have been held in solitary confinement longer than anyone else in modern U.S. history. The men have spent the past 41 years of their lives alone in tiny cells for 23 hours a day, deprived of any meaningful human interaction.

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He and fellow prisoner Albert Woodfox, of Angola 3 fame, have been held in solitary confinement longer than anyone else in modern U.S. history.

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But Herman is fighting for his life and for justice. Today, we wanted to update you and shed just a bit of light into this bleak situation. On Friday, Herman Wallace was reclassified from a maximum to a medium security prisoner. That means he now has access to the day room and will no longer wear leg restraints – an incredible change for someone who has been held in isolation for more than 40 years. Thank you to the more than 30,000 of you who helped make this possible.

The wheels of change may turn more slowly than we’d like, but we remain committed to pursuing justice. Herman Wallace should not die alone.

Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox are the two imprisoned members of the ‘Angola 3′, three young black men who were thrown in solitary confinement after working against continued segregation, systematic corruption, and grave abuses in the infamous Angola prison. Originally imprisoned for unrelated cases of armed robbery, Herman and Albert were later convicted for the murder of a prison guard in 1972. However, no physical evidence links either man to the murder.

DNA evidence that might have established the men’s innocence was somehow “lost”

Outcomes were based on questionable inmate testimony

Prison officials bribed the main eyewitness

One witness later retracted his testimony

Prison authorities have broken their own policies to justify Herman’s continued incarceration in harsh and inhumane conditions. After decades in these conditions, a highly questionable conviction that continues to be challenged by the courts and the now a tragic prognosis of terminal cancer, the next step seems all too clear: Herman Wallace should be released.

About Jasmine Heiss

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3 thoughts on “Don’t Let Herman Die Alone”

The injustice associated with long tern segregation is an epidemic.The evils that takes place has no boundaries.Herman and Albert keep your minds focused and stay strong.I have done 15 years segregation in illnois prisons,so i know your pains comrade.